Van Ness Apartment Fire Displaces Dozens of Residents

A firefighter and a resident were injured in a two-alarm blaze that displaced dozens of residents at an apartment building near Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco on Saturday morning, a fire department spokeswoman said today.

The fire was reported at about 11:10 a.m. Saturday at a multi-story apartment building in the 900 block of O’Farrell Street between Van Ness Avenue and Polk Street, San Francisco fire department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control shortly after noon, according to Talmadge.

The American Red Cross arranged housing for 14 displaced residents and provided food and clothing to a total of 53 residents following the fire.

The fire caused an estimated $800,000 in damage to the 39-unit building and about $50,000 in damage to its contents, according to Talmadge, who said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Talmadge said four floors of the building were affected by the blaze and the fire appears to have begun on the third floor. She said it’s possible that the bottom two floors sustained only water damage, not fire damage.

Talmadge said one firefighter suffered minor injuries and that a resident was transported to a hospital. Talmadge said she could not confirm the extent of the civilians’ injuries.

Hannah Albarazi, Bay City News

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